"Hey, I've got a question. That Spirit Snake Sage of yours—didn't he copy my Toad Sage?"
Jiraiya suddenly nudged Lin Zi with his elbow, wearing a cheeky grin.
Lin Zi was sliding the Kusanagi Sword into its sheath at his waist. At that, his golden slit pupils rolled, and his forked tongue flicked out to lick his lips. His voice dripped with disdain.
"Copy you? Jiraiya, is your face made of a city wall? I came up with that title myself. Your taste had nothing to do with it."
"Hahaha!"
Jiraiya slung an arm around Lin Zi's shoulders, nearly knocking him off balance.
"Guess we really are kindred spirits! Who would've thought that Orochimaru, the genius who was praised to the skies since childhood, would be on the same level as an ordinary guy like me?"
Lin Zi slapped his hand away and straightened his ponytail, which the wind had tousled. His snake-like eyes slanted toward Jiraiya.
"Hold it. Where I come from, you're the one who's been called a genius since childhood."
Jiraiya froze for a moment, then burst into even louder laughter. He bent over at the waist, his wooden sandals clacking against the dirt road.
"Me? A genius? Hahaha! I must've been one handsome devil in that world!"
Lin Zi watched him carry on, the corner of his mouth twitching, but he couldn't stop a smile from creeping across his face.
They walked side by side toward the town, the setting sun stretching their shadows long behind them, like two kids who'd just fought and made up again.
[ Ding! Detected a strong emotional fluctuation in the world's central supporting character, Jiraiya. ]
[ Role-playing progress as Orochimaru (Spirit Snake Sage) increased by 15%. Current compatibility: 18%. ]
They hadn't gone far before they started bickering again.
Jiraiya pretended to clutch his stomach and groan. "This is all your fault. You came charging out of the woods in broad daylight, and now I haven't even had a hot breakfast!"
Lin Zi glanced at him. "As if I've eaten anything."
"Then perfect! The town's right up ahead. Come on, let's stock up first. We'll eat our fill, then go find Tsunade!"
Jiraiya's eyes lit up. He slung an arm around Lin Zi's shoulders again and lowered his voice, grinning mischievously.
"We can have a couple of drinks while we're at it. Heh heh."
Lin Zi knocked his hand away. "Just so we're clear, I don't have a single copper coin on me."
"What's there to worry about?" Jiraiya thumped his chest. "I'm here!"
They entered the town square, where the smoky aroma of grilled meat, the warmth of miso soup, and the oily scent of fried tempura all came rushing toward them.
Lin Zi hadn't had a proper meal since crossing into this world. His stomach was so empty he could hear the echo, and it gave an extremely untimely rumble.
Jiraiya burst out laughing and was about to drag Lin Zi toward a restaurant when he spotted a yellowed wanted poster on the square's notice board.
He pulled Lin Zi over and pointed to the portrait of a cold-eyed, murderous-looking man.
"See? This is how you look on the wanted poster!"
Lin Zi leaned closer. His golden slit pupils showed a hint of appreciation. "They made me look pretty handsome. There's a certain sick beauty to it."
"Really? I think it's kind of creepy." Jiraiya scratched his head and looked Lin Zi up and down. "But you look a lot better now. Pretty handsome."
Lin Zi's lips curled up. "Naturally. You've got a good eye, Jiraiya."
The two of them stood in the middle of the road, laughing loudly and paying no attention to the strange looks from passersby.
But a few figures crouching beneath the eaves nearby suddenly stiffened. They'd clearly heard the words "you on the wanted poster."
Their gazes briefly met in the air, then they silently scattered, like loaches slipping into a sewer, each hurrying off in a different direction.
The two ducked into a yakiniku restaurant by the street. Jiraiya flopped down on the tatami like he owned the place and shouted, "Boss! Five large portions of premium grilled meat! And two bottles of sake!"
The meat sizzled and glistened on the iron grill. Jiraiya stuffed his mouth as he asked through a mouthful, "By the way, Orochimaru, I never asked you—how'd you end up in this weird place?"
Lin Zi paused with his chopsticks poised over the meat.
He lowered his eyes and nudged the slices around on the grill. "I'm not sure. It was like... a voice inside me told me I was supposed to come, so I did."
Jiraiya chewed the scorching meat, hissing as it burned his mouth, but didn't press further. He merely nodded through his mouthful. "I see... Cheers!"
He gulped down some sake, then suddenly grew serious. "Back when we used to eat together, you'd always sit off to the side with a cold look on your face, knocking back one cup after another like someone owed you money. Seeing this other side of you..."
He grinned. "It's actually pretty nice."
Lin Zi held his sake cup, his snake-like eyes narrowing slightly through the heat rising from the grill. "Is that so?"
Outside the window, hurried footsteps sounded in the street.
Lin Zi's tongue quivered in the air, picking up several different chakra signatures approaching them, then stopping outside.
He set down his cup, a trace of amusement passing through his golden slit pupils.
"Jiraiya."
"Hm?"
"When we finish drinking, if a fight breaks out, try not to throw up."
"What fight?" Jiraiya asked carelessly, a toothpick still between his teeth.
Lin Zi shot him a look as if he were some amphibian with no higher intelligence. "Is your brain not working right? You were so loud in the square that you attracted some pests. They're right outside now, lying in wait."
"Hey, hey, how is that my fault?" Jiraiya said, eyes widening.
"Enough talk. Get back to your meat."
The two of them really did take their time finishing the grilled meat and drinking all the sake, as if no one were watching them outside.
Lin Zi even ordered another plate of pickled radishes and leisurely ate every last one before wiping his mouth and getting up to open the door.
Outside, the sun was sinking toward the mountain pass, dyeing the whole street a hazy orange-red.
The light was fading—the perfect hour for murder and arson.
Three or five figures blocked the open space in front of the restaurant.
At their head was a hulking brute, built like an iron tower, with arms thicker than an ordinary man's legs. He dragged a heavy iron chain along the ground, the links clattering.
Two underlings with capture nets lurked behind him, peeking out to bolster their boss's courage.
The brute stepped forward, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun. "Back in the square, who were you talking about on that wanted poster?"
The underling on the left shook the capture net in his hands, its cords swaying in the wind. "That's right! I heard you with my own ears. Don't even think about denying it!"
Jiraiya raised both hands, pasting on the smile of a peacemaker. "Now, now, there's been a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding! We're just ordinary customers here for grilled meat. We don't know any wanted criminals..."
The brute grinned, revealing a gold-capped front tooth. His smile was vicious. "We'll find out if it was a misunderstanding once we take you back and pry your mouths open. Get them! Take them both away!"
The two underlings approached cautiously from either side, capture nets in hand, as if facing some terrifying beast. But they couldn't hide their excitement, and the openings of their nets were already aimed at Lin Zi and Jiraiya's heads.
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